Michele Novella, PMHNP-BC , PMHCNS-BC, is the medical director and owner of Star Psychiatric Healthcare in Danbury CT. She is a past member of Western Connecticut Health Network’s medical staff where she worked in the Behavioral Health Department including Crisis Intervention, Intensive Outpatient Program running groups and teaching Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). In the Outpatient setting Michele held several critical incident debriefings following traumatic events & losses that were experienced by the staff there.

After graduating from Fairfield University, Michele worked as a Registered Nurse at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Later,  she worked at WCHN’s inpatient oncology unit before being asked to serve as Nurse Manager for the Outpatient Oncology & Chemotherapy Infusion Services at Associated Internists of Danbury. During that time she received the prestigious American Cancer Society’s State-Wide “Excellence in Oncology Nursing Award” in 1991.

Michele later pursued  her Master’s Degree of Nursing from Yale University, graduating with Honors.  She is Board Certified by the ANCC as both a  Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Psychiatric Nursing, as well as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.
She holds specialized training in DBT & CBT therapy; Critical Incident Stress Debriefing and held a pivotal role in the aftermath of the 12/14/12 Sandy Hook Shootings, by helping to organize & run the Crisis Services offered to the public at Newtown’s Reed Intermediate School and has treated several of the Newtown Police Department’s First Responders. She has been asked to speak to several groups on the subject of PTSD and stress responses after trauma.

Michele also facilitated groups for varied mental health providers in the aftermath of the event who were  treating Sandy Hook survivors, with the guidance and tutelage of the world-renowned James Gordon,MD, founder of the Center for Mind Body Medicine located in Washington, DC.

Lastly, Michele served on WCHN’s Medical Speakers’ Panel and is currently a National Speaker for several Pharmaceutical and Genetic Testing companies;  namely Genomind;  Takeda-Lundbeck; Astra Zeneca; & Pamlab-Nestle.

Michele has resided in Danbury,CT for over 26 years & is the mom of  three active teenagers. In her spare time she enjoys bicycling, hiking, and volunteering with Cambiando Vidas, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to building hurricane-proof cinder- block homes for the indigent families in the Dominican Republic, having participated on building trips in 2013 & 2015. She hopes to attend again sometime in 2016 with her daughter, Faith, who volunteered on the 2013 excursion.